Snap-tight chimney liner tee

ABSTRACT

A snap-tight chimney liner tee includes a main section and a connecting section. The main section includes a cut-out portion sized for proper ventilation of a heating appliance. On either side of the cut-out portion are protrusions. The connecting section includes a connecting end, shaped to fit closely against the surface of the main section around the cut-out portion. The top and bottom edges of the connecting section are bent outwardly to form a flange. The arms of the connecting end are long enough to extend past the protrusions on the main section when held together. Each arm contains a hole sized to the protrusions on the main section. The edges of the arms past the holes are bent outwardly. When the pieces are aligned and pushed together, the arms of the connecting end slide over the protrusions until the holes line up with protrusions. The arms then snap back against the surface of the main section, locking the pieces together. No action is required on the part of the assembler other than pushing the pieces together, and therefore the connecting section may be longer than the length of the assembler&#39;s arm prior to installation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to chimney liners and moreparticularly relates to a chimney liner tee that can be assembled bysnapping the pieces together without the need for tools or usermanipulation of any assembly fitting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Old chimneys are often relined with stainless-steel chimney liners inorder to increase safety and improve performance. Relining can eliminateair leaks, increase safety by adding another barrier between hot exhaustgases and the structure of the building, and allow for a better fitbetween the chimney size and the heat source.

However, it is often difficult to install such liners because of thelimited amount of space in a chimney and the desire to avoid damage tothe chimney by creating as few holes as possible for the purposes ofinstallation. This can make assembly of the different parts of thechimney liner difficult. One previously recognized problem area is theconnection between individual appliances, such as a boiler, waterheater, or a fireplace, and the main chimney liner. Usually a T-shapedjoint called a “tee” is used to allow a horizontal connection to theappliance in question from the vertically oriented main chimney liner.However, the liner and tee cannot be installed pre-assembled because thetee, with the horizontal connector attached, would be too large to feedinto the chimney from the roof opening, which is the normal method ofinstallation. Therefore, a tee is installed in two parts, with a mainsection that can be inserted through the length of the chimney and ahorizontal section that enters the chimney through an opening in theside of the chimney near an appliance.

There are numerous ways of joining the main section of the chimney linerand the horizontal section of liner connected to the appliance. One suchsystem is similar to a large hose clamp. A stainless-steel band that canbe adjusted with a screwdriver is attached to the horizontal section,which is installed first. The main chimney liner with a cut-out in thecorrect position is then dropped into place vertically down the chimneyand through the band. The installer then tightens the band using ascrewdriver to pull the pieces together in order to establish a tightfit.

Another known design uses two pairs of threaded brackets, with athreaded hole drilled through each bracket. One pair is mounted on theinner wall of the main chimney liner at the cut-out portion, extendinginwardly into the cut-out portion. The other pair is mounted on theinner wall of the horizontal connection from the appliance and extendinwardly towards the center of the horizontal connection. The horizontalconnection is held so that the holes in the brackets on the horizontalconnection and the main section are in alignment, and then screws areinserted through the holes and tightened to join the two sectionstogether.

Another previously known construction is described in U.S. Pat. No.6,588,802. This configuration uses clamps to join the main chimney linerand the horizontal connection together. The clamps consist of agenerally U-shaped locking member, a lever, and a mounting bracket. Theclamps are connected to either the wall adjacent the cut-out section inthe main chimney liner, or the horizontal connection. The U-shapedlocking member on each clamp attaches to a hook on the inner wall of theother piece, either the main chimney section or horizontal connection.An installer will manipulate the lever of the clamps to draw the twopieces together, and then the clamps are locked, holding the piecestogether.

All of the above systems require the installer to manually actuate thelocking mechanism, either by tightening the stainless steel band,tightening the screws in the brackets, or manually moving the lever onthe connecting clamps. Consequently, the horizontal connection piecemust be shorter than the length of the installer's arm in order to allowthe installer to reach the connection system and operate it. Theconnection systems also require either the use of fasteners, as in thebracket design, or movable parts, such as the stainless-steel band orclamp-connected systems.

As a result, there is a need for a chimney liner tee that can beconstructed with a horizontal connector longer than the length of theinstaller's arm and that can be assembled without the use of tools.

Also, there is a need also exists for a connection system that does notmake use of relatively expensive and inefficient moving parts and isboth effective and easy to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a chimney liner teethat does not require the installer to fasten the pieces together bydirect manipulation of a fastener. This allows for the use of horizontalconnections with lengths greater than the arm-length of the installer.Another object is to simplify the construction of the chimney liner teeand reduce manufacturing, assembly and installation costs.

These objectives are achieved in the present invention by a snap-connectchimney liner tee that is assembled from two parts. The first part ofthe chimney liner tee is the main section. The main section extends thelength of the chimney when installed. The main section includes acut-out portion of the liner wall that is located near the appliance tobe vented and that is variably sized to accommodate the exhaust of theappliance. Two protrusions extend outwardly from the external surface ofthe main section near the cut-out portion. These protrusions may be ofany shape that will allow the holes in the connecting end of theconnecting section to slide over them when the two pieces of the tee arepushed together, but will then lock the connecting section in place.

The second part of the chimney liner tee is the connecting section. Theconnecting section links the appliance whose exhaust is to be vented tothe main section. The connecting section is a generally cylindrical pipesection having a diameter which is preferably slightly larger than thecut-out portion of the main section. The connecting end of theconnecting section shaped to engage the main section and fit tightlyaround the cut-out portion of the main section, forming the chimneyliner tee. The connecting end preferably includes two holes positionedand sized to engage with the protrusions on the main section andcooperate to establish a snap connection between the two sections.

In order to assemble the tee, the connecting end of the connectingsection is aligned with the cut-out portion, and force is applied topush the two pieces together. The shape of the two pieces forces theedges of the connecting end, where the holes are positioned, over theprotrusions. As force is applied, the holes on the connecting end willbe aligned with the protrusions, allowing the edges of the connectingend to snap back down against the surface of the wall of the mainsection, locking the connecting section in place. No further action onthe part of the installer is needed to fasten the two parts of thechimney liner tee together.

In one embodiment, the protrusions are substantially cylindricallyshaped, which allows the use of round holes in the connecting end, whichcan be easily created by one skilled in the art. Such cylindrical piecesare also readily available commercially.

In another embodiment, the protrusions take the shape of righttriangular prisms, with the larger face of the prism attached to thewall of the main section and the face that forms the hypotenuse facingsubstantially the same direction as the cut-out. This orients the prismas a ramp facing away from the cut-out portion. Rectangular holes canthen be used in the connecting end. When pushing the pieces together,the edges of the connecting end slide up the ramp of the protrusionuntil reaching the edge and snapping back to rest against the wall ofthe main section, locking the two pieces together.

In another embodiment, the main section and the connecting section arerectangular in shape and the protrusions take the form of righttriangular prisms similar in shape and configuration to the secondembodiment.

In the preferred embodiment, the main section and the connecting sectionare tubular, and the protrusions are substantially cylindrically shapedwith a groove perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the protrusioncut into the protrusion, on the side facing away from the cut-outportion. The matching holes in the connecting end are substantiallycircular in shape. As the edges of the connecting end are pushed overthe protrusions, the holes line up with the protrusions, snapping intoplace. When assembled, the periphery of the holes engage the groovedarea of the protrusion. The walls of the groove keep the edges of theconnecting end in locked engagement, and help ensure a tight fit betweenthe main section and the connecting section of the tee.

It will be appreciated that the position of the protrusions and holescan be interchanged, i.e., the main section can be provided withreceiving holes and the nose piece, or connecting section, provided withprotrusions suitably sized and shaped to engage the holes in the mainsection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a three dimensional perspective view of the two parts of thesnap-connect chimney liner tee of the present invention, the connectingsection aligned with the cut-out portion, just prior to assembly.

FIG. 2 is a three dimensional perspective view of the chimney liner teeafter assembly.

FIG. 3 is a view as in FIG. 1, but showing the right-triangular prismshape of the protrusions on the main section and rectangular shape ofthe holes in the connecting end in the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention wherein the protrusions are shaped in as right triangularprisms and receiving holes of the connecting section are rectangular incross-section.

FIG. 5 is a prospective view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention showing the grooved shape of the protrusions and matchingholes in the connecting end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The illustrated embodiment of the snap-tight chimney liner tee,according to the present invention, consists of a main section 1 and aconnecting section 2. Turning our attention to FIG. 1, the tubular mainsection 1 is preferably constructed of stainless steel, but othermaterials may suggest themselves to one of skill in the art. The mainsection 1 has a cut-out portion 3 that is sized to allow properventilation of the exhaust of the appliance that is being connected tothe liner. The cut-out portion is substantially ovular in shape. In apreferred embodiment, two generally opposing protrusions 4 extendoutwardly from the external surface main section on opposing sides ofthe cut-out portion. The protrusions are substantially cylindrical inshape. To improve retention, a groove 5 can be cut into the curvedsurface of each protrusion. The groove extends partially around eachprotrusion's entire outer edge, or fully around the outer edges forminga recessed belt.

The connecting section 2 is tubular with a diameter at least slightlygreater than that of the cut-out portion of the main section. Theconnecting end 6 of the connecting section 2 is shaped to fit closely tothe surface of the main section 1. Preferably, the upper and lower edgesof the connecting section are each bent outwards to form a flange 7 thatengages the outer surface of the main section. A heat-resistant sealant,such as furnace cement, can be applied to the flange prior to assemblyto further prevent leakage of exhaust gases after the tee assembly iscomplete. The sides of the connecting edge form two arms 8 to engage theprotrusions on the main section. Each arm of the connecting edgecontains a hole 9 shaped to fit the protrusion. The edge 10 of eachconnecting end that extends past the hole is bent outwardly slightly tofacilitate assembly.

In order to assemble the tee, the installer merely has to push theconnecting section 2 against the main section 1. The relative shapes ofeach section urge the arms 8 of the connecting end 6 into alignment withthe protrusions and allow engagement with them. As can be seen in FIG.2, when the holes 21 in the arms of the connecting end line up with theprotrusions 22, the arms 23 will snap down against the surface of themain section, locking the connecting section in place. A groove 24,which can be present on each protrusion, helps ensure that the arms donot inadvertently disengage from protrusions.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. The protrusions31 in this embodiment are right triangular prisms. The right angle 32 ofeach prism is attached to the surface of the main section, with thehypotenuse 33 facing towards the cut-out portion. This creates a rampthat leads up and away from the cut-out portion when looking at the mainsection from the side that contains the cut-out portion. In thisembodiment, the edges 34 of the connecting end arms on the connectingsection are not bent outwardly, and the corresponding holes 35 in thearms of the connecting end are rectangular in shape.

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of the third embodiment. The mainsection 41 and the connecting section 42 are rectangular in shape. Theprotrusions 43 on the main section are right triangular prisms, and theholes 44 on the connecting end 45 are rectangular in shape.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the grooved protrusions 51 around thecut-out portion 52 and the matching holes 53 in the connecting end 54.The groove 55 creates a band around the protrusion that has a smallerdiameter than the rest of the protrusion. When assembled, the rims ofthe holes in the arms 56 of the connecting end lie in this groove.

The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Itwill thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able todevise numerous systems, apparatus and methods which, although notexplicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of theinvention and are thus within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims.

For example, the protrusions on the main section and the holes on theconnecting end may be of different shapes. Furthermore, the position ofthe protrusions and receiving openings which establish the snap-tightengagement can be reversed. In this manner, the protrusions would bepart of the connection section 2 and the openings associated with mainsection 1. In each of these embodiments, the tee assembly can becompleted “blind” and without the need for the installer to reach in andthrough the connecting piece to the interface region to complete theassembly.

1. A snap-tight chimney liner tee comprising: a main section having acut-out portion in the wall of said main section, said main section alsoincluding a plurality of two protrusions located on opposing sides ofsaid cut-out, a connecting section, said connecting section including aconnecting end, said connecting end being designed to fit closely oversaid cut-out portion of said main section, said connecting end includingcorresponding openings sized and shaped engage protrusions on said mainsection in a snap fit relationship.
 2. The chimney liner tee of claim 1,in which said main section and said connecting section are tubular inshape.
 3. The chimney liner tee of claim 1, in which said protrusions onsaid main section are cylindrical in shape.
 4. The chimney liner tee ofclaim 1, in which said protrusions on said main section are righttriangular prisms.
 5. The chimney liner tee of claim 1, in which saidprotrusions on said main section are substantially cylindrical in shapewith a groove cut into the surface of the protrusion running around thecircumference of the shape.
 6. The chimney liner tee of claim 1, inwhich said main section and said connecting section are composed ofstainless steel.
 7. The chimney liner tee of claim 1, in which saidprotrusions are attached to said main section using screws, spot welds,or pop rivets.
 8. The chimney liner tee of claim 1, in which saidcut-out portion is oval in shape.
 9. The chimney liner tee of claim 1,further including a line of furnace cement between said connecting endand said main section, forming a seal between them.
 10. A snap-tightchimney liner tee comprising: a main section having a cut-out portion inthe wall of said main section, said main section also including aplurality of openings located on opposing sides of said cut-out; and aconnecting section, said connecting section including a connecting end,said connecting end being designed to fit closely over said cut-outportion of said main section, said connecting end includingcorresponding protrusions sized and shaped engage the openings on saidmain section in a snap fit relationship.
 11. The chimney liner tee ofclaim 10, in which said main section and said connecting section aretubular in shape.
 12. The chimney liner tee of claim 10, in which saidprotrusions on said connecting section are cylindrical in shape.
 13. Thechimney liner tee of claim 10, in which said protrusions on saidconnecting section are right triangular prisms.
 14. The chimney linertee of claim 10, in which said protrusions on said connecting sectionare substantially cylindrical in shape with a groove cut into thesurface of the protrusion running around the circumference of the shape.15. The chimney liner tee of claim 10, in which said main section andsaid connecting section are composed of stainless steel.
 16. The chimneyliner tee of claim 10, in which said protrusions are attached to saidmain section using screws, spot welds, or pop rivets.
 17. The chimneyliner tee of claim 10, in which said cut-out portion is oval in shape.18. The chimney liner tee of claim 10, further including a line offurnace cement between said connecting end and said main section,forming a seal between them.